Jim Lefkos

Jim Lefkos
Personal information
Full name Demetrios Lefkos
Place of birth Cyprus
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1964–1969 Varsity Blues
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1963–1965 Toronto Hakoah
1966–1967 Toronto Hellas
1969 Syracuse Scorpions (22)
1970–1971 Rochester Lancers 14 (5)
1971 Toronto Metros 6 (0)
1971 Toronto Hellas
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Demetrios "Jim" Lefkos is a retired Cypriot football (soccer) forward. He played professionally in the North American Soccer League and American Soccer League, where he led the league in scoring in 1969.

Player

A native of Cyprus, Lefkos attended the University of Toronto where he played on the school's soccer team from 1964 to 1969. Lefkos led the team in scoring for three consecutive seasons during which the Varsity Blues won three OQAA championships. He was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 1999.[1] In 1963, he played in the National Soccer League with Toronto Hakoah.[2] He contributed a hattrick which secured the NSL Championship for Hakoah against Toronto Ukraina in the 1965 season.[3] In 1966, he played with league rivals Toronto Hellas.[4] He re-signed with Toronto for the 1967 NSL season.[5]

In 1969, Lefkos signed with the Syracuse Scorpions of the American Soccer League. Lefkos led the league in scoring and was a First Team All Star.[6] In 1970, he moved to the Rochester Lancers of the North American Soccer League. In 1971, he began the season in Rochester before being traded to the Toronto Metros. In late July, 1971 he was traded to former club Toronto Hellas for Panos Polyviou.[7]

Coach

Lefkos then became a physical education and health teacher as well as the boys' soccer coach at Danforth Collegiate and Technical Institute.[8] In 1981, Lefkos, in addition to his high school responsibilities, became the head soccer coach of the University of Toronto men's soccer team. He coached the team to one national championship before retiring in 2002.

References

  1. ^ U of T Sports Hall of Fame List: "Jim" Demetrios Lefkos
  2. ^ "3 for Lefkos As Hakoah Wins Berth in Final". The Globe and Mail. October 5, 1963. p. 28.
  3. ^ "Hakoah Wins Championship; NSL to Expand". The Globe and Mail. October 27, 1965. p. 37.
  4. ^ Waring, Ed (June 1, 1966). "Karras goal winner for Hellas squad 1-0". The Globe and Mail. p. 31.
  5. ^ "Joe Rea's three goals pace 6-4 Croatia win". The Globe and Mail. June 5, 1967. p. 23.
  6. ^ "The Year in American Soccer - 1969". Archived from the original on 2015-08-12. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  7. ^ Waring, Ed (July 31, 1971). "Metros add 5 players on final signing day". The Globe and Mail. p. 32.
  8. ^ "Redmen beat Monarch Park to reach semi-final: Danforth continues to dominate soccer". The Globe and Mail. October 26, 1977. p. 33.